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Google's tools don't easily translate into synthesized speech or Braille. Now the National Federation of the Blind has issued a federal complaint with the Justice Department, alleging that university use of Google Apps for Education amounts to discrimination.

Twitter and other social networks have, of course, been remarkable tools during past uprisings and disasters.

Plenty of people use their mobile devices to gather local information. But only 1% have paid for an app to do so. If the Internet has crippled local newsgathering in many regions, could smartphones and tablets bring it back

At SXSW, the founder of one of America's favorite online shoe stores lets Fast Company in on his newest idea, a lifestyle and business brand with partner Jenn Lim named after his bestselling business book, "Delivering Happiness." Delivering Happiness is no longer merely the bestselling business book by Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh.

The threat of cyber-war--and of a catastrophic hacker attack to Germany's industrial or military infrastructure--is spurring the creation of two new high-level government organizations. The Federal Republic of Germany has just released a comprehensive cyber-security strategy that will create two high-level government agencies devoted exclusively to cyber-war

TED data could power apps, visualizations, and more. TED announced today at SXSW that it is opening all of its online talks to the public. An application programming interface (API) will allow open access to all talks and associated data (topic, location, speaker, etc.) for developers who might use that info to build all sorts of tools and applications.

3-D printing is serious business. It can revolutionize custom manufacturing

Flipboard , the popular news aggregator/browser app, just got a significant makeover that boosts speed and includes Instagram support and a clever social search.

Meet up with friends! Watch funny YouTube videos! Oh yeah, also, prep for the LSATs... A couple years back, Ashish Rangnekar was preparing for his GMAT exam, while also working a full-time job. "I realized that I was always short of time

A new study shows readers of iPad magazines find their attention wandering. A lot. And any way you spin it, that's a tricky finding for both publishers and advertisers.

China announced wide-sweeping health care reforms this week , focusing on building more hospitals, reducing the price of common drugs, banning smoking from public spaces, and increasing state insurance subsidies. China--despite heavy reliance on government funding for social programs--has developed a curiously excessive reliance on the sales of drugs to fund hospitals, a feature of its health care system that doesn't quite sit right with the nation's overarching philosophy--or with its citizens. "I think that no matter what kind of hospital, you should rely on medical technology and improved services to gain income," said Sun Zhigang , the National Development and Reform Commission's deputy director.

A new algorithm identifies the unique writing style hidden in digital communications. The world of anonymous email s and comments could soon come to a crashing end. Researchers at Concordia University have discovered a way to mathematically uncover the unique (and often sub-conscious) writing style, or "write print," of each individual

British MPs want compulsory finance education in schools, but there's mixed evidence on effectiveness. At the epicenter of the housing crisis was a black hole of financial literacy--masses of consumers making calculations with unrealistic mathematical expectations . To avert another capitalist catastrophe, 300 British MPs are calling for mandatory personal finance education

Among China's female workforce in managerial positions, 19% hold the title of CEO, according to the Grant Thornton Business Report released this week . That's 10% higher than averages in Europe and 14% higher than averages in the United States, according to the report. Thailand came in first at a whopping 30% of female managers holding the title of CEO and Taiwan came in third at 18%, pointing to a possible emerging trend in Asia for women to more routinely hold the position of CEO.

The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released its 2011 State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) report this week, just in time for today's International Women's Day.